ok so how many cals should I eat?

i stole this idea from a similar post (sorry to be a copy cat) but i constantly get conflicting info about how much to eat.

i'm 5'2'', 23 years old, female. currently at 122lbs, goal 110-115.
i eat 1200 a day, run/walk uphill about 30 mins 5-6 days a week. i do abs, pushups and very minimal lifting (i only own small 3lb free weights).

my goal is to slim down some more and also tone up in the process, i don't want to look too muscular, just a flat tummy & firm arms.

what do you all think? is 1200 ideal?

well, I think 1200 calories a day is below the safety line for females.  You might want to research that a bit.

that's what CC tells me is the minimum - when i enter my current weight, height & age that's what they give me

Yes, it says it's the minimum. It doesn't say that's what you should eat. If you want to lose weight safely, you should:

• plug in your height, weight, age, and frame size, and perhaps pick "sedentary" as a starting point.
• note the total for the day that your burn meter shows to be your maintenance level (this is the top of the meter, not the amount you've burned up to that point).
• add in your activities, and see how the burn meter goes up
• plan to eat 500 to 1000 kCal less than the number at the top of your burn meter, but NEVER go below 1200.  Completely ignore the goal number on your eat meter.

As it stands, you are not eating enough, likely by quite a long shot.

Finally, unless you resort to steroids, there is very little chance that you, as a woman, are ever going to look "too muscular." Athletically muscular is way, way sexier than "just thin," and it raises your resting metabolic rate, too, so it's a big win.

okay but here's the thing. when i enter height/weight/age & set to sedentary (which is what i have been doing) my burn meter says 1530. fine.

when i exercise i burn somewhere between 300-400 cals bringing me to 1830-1930. also good.

so if i eat 1200 cals i have somewhere between a 630-730 deficit each day. that doesn't seem entirely unreasonable. CC says it's a healthy rate of weight loss. and yet every forum & many posts seem to doubt whether it's enough. this is why i'm confused.

Sounds to me like you are spot on then.  You are going to tone those arms and tighten those abs, which will add muscle, which weighs more than fat I believe.  Targeting a steady deficit is the right way to go!  Well done :-)

you have the idea, but remember your body is like a car

you wouldn't go on a long road trip on an empty tank would you? no you wouldn't.. the same goes with your body

food is fuel.. and if you are going to workout then you are going to need more fuel on top of the amount of calories that you need just to stay alive 

I find that I can get in a much better workout if I eat more... eating about 1200 calories leaves me drained, sluggish, and irritatable... fyi I'm 5'2(1/2) and 108lbs

you'll feel better overall and be able to get in a more effective workout if you give your body more energy to do so

bumping calories, and intensifying workouts is actually an effective way to break through plateaus... plus eating more then minimal calories will keep your metabolism running on high, (eating too little slows it down and promotes fat storage)

in conclusion you should probably be eating around 1400-1600 calories per day, PLUS an additional 200-400 calories on the days you excersize (1600-1800)